The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1887-11-23
THE HOMESTEAD ACT.
Waianae, Nov. 18th.

express my views in regard to the
Homestead Law in your valuable
paper-a law, which, under the old
Administration, would always have
remained a dead letter, but which
our Reform Government seems to
be willing to enforce at last, and
thereby prove themselves the true
friends and benefactors of the peo-
pie and gain their respect and graft
tude in a still higher degree.
l think, it is an excellent law and
ought to he carried out to the fullest
extent, including the so-called
"Crown Lands and any other
tracts, which are or have been, I'M
der any pretence whatever, unjustly
withheld from the peoples domain.
1t is no use saying, There is not
enough available land for homestead
purposes, newer mind-''half
loaf of bread is better than none,"
let us have what there is, then at an
early date, and make it 90 as far
as possible; but, if it is the law, as
/ am told, that Government lands
can only be sold at public auction
in this country, then this law ought
to be changed, for | don't see what
is to prevent spectators, land and
house owners, real estate agents and
everybody else interested in keep
ing up the value of real estate, from
appearing at the public sale and
driving up the prices, so that the
true intention of the trainers of the
homestead law will be frustrated
and the benefit it was TO confer on
people of small means totally lost
In my opinion this is matter
that calls for immediate action by
the present Legislature, which ought
to give to the Minister of Interior
the power to sell all available Gov
eminent lands to bona fide settlers
privately, on application to the
Land Office, at a stipulated price
and on easy terms, in similar
way as in the United States,
only with this difference, of course,
that considering the limited area
and the great number of probable
applicants, it would have to be cut
up in small lots and proportionalIy
higher price charged.
There are also within convenient
distance from the business centre of
the city, several large tracts of un-
improved land, which are and have
been for years in the hands of pri-
vate gentlemen, who leave them
lying idle or use them as pasture
lots, paying only nominal tax on
them, and in this way retard the
growth and progress of the city.
L think, all property of this des-
cription ought to be assessed ac-
cording to its real value, that is, as
building lots, then the owners would
soon find it to their own interest to
either improve it themselves or lay
it out in lots and offer it for sale at
reasonable prices, and our trades
men, clerks, mechanics, laborers,
and especially the Portuguese would
only be too glad to avail themselves
of the opportunity, for very few of
them can afford to pay for a small
lot within reasonable distance from
their place of business, price of
81 900, or to rent small house, fit
for respectable family to live in,
for $25 per month, where in most
cases they have to do the repairing
and pay the water rates themselves.
Everybody, who has lately been OBJ
liged to hunt for houses or lots will
know that this is not exaggerated
and that the only places which are
to be had at lower rate are either
miserable novels, those situated in
disreputable or unhealthy localities,
or several miles away from town,
where man working or doing bust
nesse there, and who is obliged to
be there at q certain hour every
morning, finds it, in the absence of
street-railroad, too inconvenient
and expensive to live. In the last
Legislature a charter for construc-
ton of such useful establishment
was granted to certain party, but,
so far, not step has been taken
towards contamination of the project
yet therefore the charter ought to
be transferred to some enterprsing
man OF company, who means bust
ness and will give us, at an early
date, ride within reasonable dis
lance for 5 cents, the same as they
do in good many smaller places
than this in the United States, and
make it pay too. What blessing
such chance would have been for
everybody who had to travel through
the mud within the last few days,
for instance.
Give the people chance to ac-
quire a home of their own and il
will give them an interest in the
welfare of the country. 1t will
make them saving, industrious,
} peaceable and contented, and will
} do more to promote the true cause
of temperance and morality than al
societies, preaching and cast-iror
| laws in this direction ever did anC
ever will do. Besides it will keeE